Harry Truman is said to have opined, “It’s hell to find work when a man has been President of the United States.”
Today, we bid farewell to a man who defied convention and built a post-presidential legacy that will long outlast the headlines of his era. Jimmy Carter, the 39th president of the United States, has departed this world at the age of 100, closing a chapter in American history marked by quiet strength, unshakable integrity, and a relentless dedication to the betterment of humanity.
Carter’s story was anything but ordinary. A son of the Georgia soil, a peanut farmer turned Naval officer, he brought to the nation’s highest office a mix of humility and intellect that seemed an antidote to the cynicism of the post-Watergate years. He pledged never to deceive the American people, and by all accounts, he kept that promise—a rarity in the often slippery world of politics.
His presidency was brief, spanning just four years, yet his impact was complex. He governed during a time of economic upheaval, marked by soaring inflation, energy crises, and the national humiliation of the Iran hostage ordeal. These challenges left an indelible mark on his administration, and for decades, Carter bore the weight of being seen as a president who struggled to meet the moment.
But history has a way of softening judgments, revealing truths that the urgency of the present can obscure. As many commentators are noting tonight, Carter was a man ahead of his time. He championed renewable energy and conservation long before they became existential imperatives. He elevated human rights to a central tenet of American foreign policy, and his diplomacy at Camp David achieved what many believed impossible: a lasting peace between Israel and Egypt. These achievements now stand as testaments to his vision and his dogged persistence.
Yet, it was in the years after he left the White House that Carter truly became a figure of global admiration. He did not retire from public life; he reinvented it. Through the Carter Center, founded with his beloved wife, Rosalynn, he attacked diseases that ravaged the developing world, monitored elections to safeguard democracy, and promoted peace in the most fractious corners of the globe. His hands-on work with Habitat for Humanity, even into his ninth decade, became an enduring symbol of his belief in service over status.
This was a man who took no shortcuts. He could be infuriatingly meticulous, a trait that hampered him in the political sphere but suited him perfectly in his post-presidential endeavors. And perhaps most tellingly, Carter was unafraid to tell the truth, no matter the cost. In an interview with Dan Rather during his re-election campaign, he gave himself middling grades on his performance as president—a moment of candor almost unheard of among politicians. That honesty, while refreshing, may have contributed to his defeat, but it also defined his character.
He was, above all, a man of principle. A naval engineer with a sharp mind. A devout Christian with a compassionate heart. Jimmy Carter embodied a rare blend of intellect and morality. His values were not platitudes; they were the foundation of his life’s work.
Jimmy Carter’s life reminds us that greatness is not measured solely by victories but by the causes one champions and the lives one touches. He was a leader who believed that decency mattered, that humility was not a weakness, and that public service was a noble calling. He loved this country deeply, and he devoted himself to its ideals, even when the nation did not fully appreciate his efforts.
As we lay him to rest, we honor not only the man who once occupied the Oval Office but the man who spent his life striving to leave the world better than he found it. His was a legacy of unyielding hope, boundless empathy, and quiet courage. He may have left us, but his example will endure, lighting a path for those willing to walk it.
Rest well, Mr. Carter. You were, in every sense, a true servant leader.
